1965 Skylark LQ9 Retrofit / Swap - Build Thread
#102
Im not a fan of black but it sure looks nice on your Buick, my vote is leave it Henry Fords color.
#104
I have the Edelbrock adapters. I will know in the next few days if they are satisfactory.
The firewall and frame are all prepped and taped. They are ready to be sprayed. I had to disassemble the core support to send to the sandblaster. There was surface rust in the battery area and a lot of black spray bomb everywhere from the previous owner. I am sending the wheel houses for sandblasting to get rid of the monstrous amount of undercoating on them. Who ever applied that undercoating was very generous.
Since I can't get the sandblasting done until Tuesday, I will install the PRC heads tomorrow and get the motor ready to drop in.
#105
I have been thinking about colors ever since I purchased this car last year. Even though the Black has really grown on me. I really love this color and I think the car would look dynomite wearing it:
http://www.tuningnews.net/news/07090...nne-gts-01.jpg
What do you think?
http://www.tuningnews.net/news/07090...nne-gts-01.jpg
What do you think?
#107
But in all seriousness. I am digging the Sunset Orange metallic
#108
I got all the pieces back from the sand blast shop today. The engine compartment will look soooo nice once it is painted on Thursday.
Looks like a I have some intake manifold porting to do. They PRC heads ports are a lot wider than my intake manifold ports.
#109
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Hey speedtigger - thought you might get a chuckle out of my P/S story:
One day while wandering my local salvage yard I stumbled upon a 79 Trans Am. Because my Grand National clone is a B U D G E T type build I scoured this TA to see if there was anything I could get. Most of the good stuff was gone, but the quick steering box was still there.
Now my GN clone is really just a granny type Regal with a sloshy old steering box so I grabbed the T.A.'s box and had it in my car the same day.
WELL, turns out that in 1980 GM changed steering boxes to metric O ring from 79 and earlier inverted flare. How do I know all this you ask? Because my LQ9 came with a P/S pump and lines in really good condition and I figured I would hook them right up. But they were a mismatch! I spent days scouring the internet and calling all over the country trying to find someone who sells an 11/16 inverted flare male to an 18 mm O ring female adapter/coupler. No luck.
Sooooooooooo, I finally bought a brand new power steering hose for a '79 Trans Am, promptly cut one end off of it and took the Escalade hose and cut the other end off of it - and had a local shop marry them!!!!
One day while wandering my local salvage yard I stumbled upon a 79 Trans Am. Because my Grand National clone is a B U D G E T type build I scoured this TA to see if there was anything I could get. Most of the good stuff was gone, but the quick steering box was still there.
Now my GN clone is really just a granny type Regal with a sloshy old steering box so I grabbed the T.A.'s box and had it in my car the same day.
WELL, turns out that in 1980 GM changed steering boxes to metric O ring from 79 and earlier inverted flare. How do I know all this you ask? Because my LQ9 came with a P/S pump and lines in really good condition and I figured I would hook them right up. But they were a mismatch! I spent days scouring the internet and calling all over the country trying to find someone who sells an 11/16 inverted flare male to an 18 mm O ring female adapter/coupler. No luck.
Sooooooooooo, I finally bought a brand new power steering hose for a '79 Trans Am, promptly cut one end off of it and took the Escalade hose and cut the other end off of it - and had a local shop marry them!!!!
#110
Hey speedtigger - thought you might get a chuckle out of my P/S story:
One day while wandering my local salvage yard I stumbled upon a 79 Trans Am. Because my Grand National clone is a B U D G E T type build I scoured this TA to see if there was anything I could get. Most of the good stuff was gone, but the quick steering box was still there.
Now my GN clone is really just a granny type Regal with a sloshy old steering box so I grabbed the T.A.'s box and had it in my car the same day.
WELL, turns out that in 1980 GM changed steering boxes to metric O ring from 79 and earlier inverted flare. How do I know all this you ask? Because my LQ9 came with a P/S pump and lines in really good condition and I figured I would hook them right up. But they were a mismatch! I spent days scouring the internet and calling all over the country trying to find someone who sells an 11/16 inverted flare male to an 18 mm O ring female adapter/coupler. No luck.
Sooooooooooo, I finally bought a brand new power steering hose for a '79 Trans Am, promptly cut one end off of it and took the Escalade hose and cut the other end off of it - and had a local shop marry them!!!!
One day while wandering my local salvage yard I stumbled upon a 79 Trans Am. Because my Grand National clone is a B U D G E T type build I scoured this TA to see if there was anything I could get. Most of the good stuff was gone, but the quick steering box was still there.
Now my GN clone is really just a granny type Regal with a sloshy old steering box so I grabbed the T.A.'s box and had it in my car the same day.
WELL, turns out that in 1980 GM changed steering boxes to metric O ring from 79 and earlier inverted flare. How do I know all this you ask? Because my LQ9 came with a P/S pump and lines in really good condition and I figured I would hook them right up. But they were a mismatch! I spent days scouring the internet and calling all over the country trying to find someone who sells an 11/16 inverted flare male to an 18 mm O ring female adapter/coupler. No luck.
Sooooooooooo, I finally bought a brand new power steering hose for a '79 Trans Am, promptly cut one end off of it and took the Escalade hose and cut the other end off of it - and had a local shop marry them!!!!
I just had to share this in my thread. This is a really cool video of an LS2 assembly automation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2ZQQRDmlJc
#114
Yeah, no doubt. I wanted to put it in there today, but there were a few delays.
The first delay was that the ported heads intake ports were considerably larger than my Edelbrock intake ports as cast, so I had a lot of porting to do. I took enough metal out of the intake manifold to make a cylinder head for a Honda.
I also had my cam ICL on 109.5. Since I replaced the heads and bumped up the compression 8 tenths, I backed the cam up to 110.5 to drop the DCR a down to 8.4:1.
Lastly, I decided to paint the motor instead of leave all the aluminum parts natural. I just love the easy cleanup when all the parts are painted. Unfortunately, I have to wait for the painter to paint it tomorrow.
So, tomorrow may be the big day, or Monday. It depends on how early I get the motor painted.
Engine and accessory brackets are now all final painted. Here are a few pics including superstar painter Jam Master Jay.
The first delay was that the ported heads intake ports were considerably larger than my Edelbrock intake ports as cast, so I had a lot of porting to do. I took enough metal out of the intake manifold to make a cylinder head for a Honda.
I also had my cam ICL on 109.5. Since I replaced the heads and bumped up the compression 8 tenths, I backed the cam up to 110.5 to drop the DCR a down to 8.4:1.
Lastly, I decided to paint the motor instead of leave all the aluminum parts natural. I just love the easy cleanup when all the parts are painted. Unfortunately, I have to wait for the painter to paint it tomorrow.
So, tomorrow may be the big day, or Monday. It depends on how early I get the motor painted.
Engine and accessory brackets are now all final painted. Here are a few pics including superstar painter Jam Master Jay.
#115
Congrats on the progress Im looking to drop my ls1 into my 64 once I get my hands around the header situation. Is there anyway you can get a pic of your dougs headers mounted? I have a milodon kick out oil pan and need to see if these headers will cause issues. Keep up the great work!!
#116
The motor is in.
The headers are installed, but I will hold my comments on the fit until the trans and crossmember are in. I want to get the engine angle sorted out to see exactly where they fall.
The steering tie rods do hit the pan. The grease fittings are hitting. I will remove those and see what I have then. I am hoping that removing the grease fittings and a little grinding on the pan will get r' done. We shall see.
Another item I was worried about was hood clearance. It does not look like it will be a problem.
Here are the pics of the motor in the frame rails with the headers installed.
The headers are installed, but I will hold my comments on the fit until the trans and crossmember are in. I want to get the engine angle sorted out to see exactly where they fall.
The steering tie rods do hit the pan. The grease fittings are hitting. I will remove those and see what I have then. I am hoping that removing the grease fittings and a little grinding on the pan will get r' done. We shall see.
Another item I was worried about was hood clearance. It does not look like it will be a problem.
Here are the pics of the motor in the frame rails with the headers installed.
#118
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When I finished mounting my engine I put a jack under the back of the oil pan b/c there was no transmission or x member for support. I realized that the grease fitting on the inner tie rod (pass side) hit the oil pan on a sharp turn.
I realized that I probably had the jack too high on the back of the pan, and when I lowered the jack a little bit my clearance issue was gone!
I realized that I probably had the jack too high on the back of the pan, and when I lowered the jack a little bit my clearance issue was gone!
#119
The headers are nowhere near the pan though. The only thing you might be concerned about is starter serviceability, but I doubt it will be a problem.
When I finished mounting my engine I put a jack under the back of the oil pan b/c there was no transmission or x member for support. I realized that the grease fitting on the inner tie rod (pass side) hit the oil pan on a sharp turn.
I realized that I probably had the jack too high on the back of the pan, and when I lowered the jack a little bit my clearance issue was gone!
I realized that I probably had the jack too high on the back of the pan, and when I lowered the jack a little bit my clearance issue was gone!